Electric shaver with oscillating blade



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Um. 22 1959 s. P. WINTHER ELECTRIC SHAVER WITH OSCILLATING BLADE Filed Jan. 21, 1958 INVENTOR Smon P. W INTHER ATTORNEY United States Patent Otiice 2,917,825 Patented Dec. 22, 1959 ELECTRIC SHAVER WITH OSCILLATING BLADE Simon P. Winther, Chicago, Ill., assignor of forty percent to Leslie Krueger, Chicago, 111.

Application January 21, 1958, Serial No. 717,288

4 Claims. (Cl. 30-43) This invention relates in general to improvements in electric shavers and particularly to improvements in the blade holder and driving means therefor.

This invention is an improvement over the electric shaver shown in my Patents No. 2,726,445 and 2,700,816 and the structure shown in pending application on Electrical Shaver, Serial No. 558,895, filed January 13, 1956 which has matured into Patent No. 2,828,539, granted April 1, 1958.

A very important feature of the invention is the construction of the blade holder as well as the manner of actuating the blade holder from the motor.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a blade holder formed from a single blank and bent in predetermined configuration to give it strength and yet retain its lightness, weight being a very important factor in a part which oscillates at a high frequency.

It is another object of my invention to provide a new and novel means for securing the blades to the blade holder.

And one more object of my invention is to provide a new and novel arrangement of motor and drive between the motor and the blade holder.

Other objects and advantages as well as the construction and operation of my invention will be apparent by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through the shaver head and a part of the body of the shaver.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an isometric exploded view of the blade holder and blade.

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of an alternate form of blade with double prongs.

Referring now to the drawing by numerals of reference, 1 designates a housing enclosing motor 2 concentrically located within said housing, motor shaft 3 extending through end wall 4 of motor casing 5.

A blade holder spindle 6 is threadedly secured to the end wall 4 in olfset and parallel relation to the motor shaft 3, sleeve 7 of the blade holder'8 being rockably supported on said spindle.

The construction of the housing 1 is similar to that shown in my other patents and pending application in that it has tapered portion 9 with opening 10 in which foraminous wall or cutter head 11 is removably positioned, the blade holder 8 being adapted to rockably support blades 12 in cutting relation to the head 11. The cutter head has a plurality of ribs 13 strengthening said head as disclosed in previous patents and application.

One of the principal features of my invention is the construction of the blade holder in one piece with little or no excess weight, thereby improving the performance of the shaver because of decrease in the mass being oscillated by the motor.

The blade holder 8 is formed from a one piece blank and has an angular portion 14 with a plurality of upstanding ribs 15, 15a, 15b and 150 with aligning slots 16 in rows which are in angular relation to each other, one or more rows of slots being used for reception of one or more blades.

Slots 16 may be prepunched in the blade holder blank or may be out after the blank is bent into final form. Another method would be to prepunch the slots undersize and true up by sawing after the blank is finally formed. Lightening apertures 8' may be used to keep the weight of the blade holder down.

Two legs 17 and 18 project from the angular portion 14, leg 17 terminating at one end of sleeve 7 and secured thereto by soldering 0r riveting, the leg 18 receiving the other end of the sleeve 7 and having a depending extension 20 to which counterweight 21 may be secured. The sleeve 7 is retained on spindle 6 by resilient clip 19 at reduced end 19 of the spindle. A slotted bushing 22 is press-fit into place in aperture 22' in leg 18, the pin 23 of crank 24 on the motor shaft 3 operating in the slotted bushing 22, suitable counterbalance 24 on crank 24 contributing to minimizing of vibration and shaver noise.

The blades 12, made of resilient material, are provided with a plurality of notches 25 adapted to register and move freely with respect to ribs 13 of the cutter head.

In one form of blade as shown in Fig. 3 the blade has a single prong 26 with bent end 27, the prong and bent end being adapted to be snapped into aperture 28 in the blade holder, a spring 29 normally urging the blade against the foraminous head 11, the bent end 27 being sufliciently below the angular portion 14 of the blade holder to clear same at all times during operation of the shaver. Also, when the head 11 is removed the spring 29 moves the blade outwardly the limit of blade movement is so designed to retain it within the slots 16 so that the blade cannot drop out. A slight outward pull on the blade and against the resiliency of the blade at the bent end 27 will snap the prong 26 out of aperture 28. Notches 30 are provided at the juncture of the prong 26 and blade 12 to permit longer springs 29 to be used.

The construction of the blade 12' in Fig. 4 is sub stantially the same except that double prongs 26 are employed.

Prong 26 in aperture 28 is close fit for free vertical movement yet prevents endwise movement of the blade to eliminate contact and friction between notches 25 and ribs 13.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an improved electric shaver, considerably simplified in construction, easily adaptable to multiple blade use, and possessing low maintenance and long life characteristics.

Obviously, changes in form, proportion and details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention and I reserve all rights to such changes as come Within the scope of this specification and the claims which follow.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric shaver which includes a casing having an opening adjacent one end thereof, a removable foraminous wall covering said opening: and forming a cutter head, a motor mounted in the casing, a blade holder pivotally mounted for oscillation in the casing, blades in the blade holder, driving means between the motor and the blade holder oscillating said blade holder, the blade holder having a plurality of apertures therein, and prongs extending from the blades and registering with the apertures in the blade holder.

2. The structure as specified in claim 1, and spring means surrounding each prong and positioned between the blade and the blade holder to urge the blades against the foraminous wall.

3. The structure as specified in claim 1, and a plurality of spaced upstanding transverse ribs on the blade holder, longitudinally aligning blade receiving notches in the ribs, a bent end on each prong adapted to extend through its respective aperture in the blade holder, and spring means surrounding each prong and positioned between the blade and the blade holder to urge the blades against the foraminous Wall, the bent end of the prong bearing against the underside of the blade holder While the blade remains within the notches in said blade holder, preventing accidental detachment of the blade from the blade holder.

4. The structure as specified in claim 1, an offset spindle extending from said motor, said blade holder having a plurality of upset portions intermediate its ends forming transverse upstanding parallel ribs, rows of Ion- .gitudinally aligned slots in the ribs, the rows of slots being divergently related to each other, the end portions of the blade holder being doubled over and projecting in the opposite direction from the transverse ribs forming spaced end legs, a bushing secured between the end legs 5 and receivable by said spindle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,369,821 Eclov Feb. 20, 1945 2,595,693 Norwood May 6, 1952 2,688,184 Jepson Sept. 7, 1954 2,700,816 Winther Feb. 1, 1955 2,726,445 Winther Dec. 13, 1955 15 2,828,539 Winther Apr. 1, 1958 

